Forgotten Ink
by Perfect Image
Summary: Scattered snapshots of the vampire twins, Kamui and Subaru, before the events of Tokyo Revelations.
1. Dress Up

**Forgotten Ink: Page 1**

**_Dress-up_**

_by XBlueXMemoriesX_

**Overall Disclaimer:** I do not own Subaru, Kamui, Hokuto, nor anything associated with the creators that are CLAMP. I also claim no ownership over any scripts that have been used by the characters, even if they have been altered in some way. However, plots and dialouge belong to me unless otherwise stated.

**-- **There will be a _light_ sprinkling of S/K with other couples perhaps making an appearance as well. However, there will be no defined relationships that are not labled platonic. Therefore, other than some blushing and perhaps another character assuming too much (as Hokuto seems to do), there will be no other romantic or sexual affection. The rating is based off of swearing, religious beliefs, ect., and the author's own preference to mark everything she writes at least **T**. **--**

* * *

Being a vampire wasn't all bad. Sure, there was the need to drink blood, but it often came in the form of human puppets, imitations of actual people and full of blood, unable to feel pain and lifeless in almost every way. In this modern day and age, there was no need for the hunting down and consuming of actual human lives.

Kamui, for one, was happy about this. Though his naturally savage temper (some vampire qualities still ran deep in the blood of the pure-blooded families) made him hunger for the hunt, the wish to chase down and feed off the fear of his victim, he was glad because it meant his elder brother did not have to worry about harming others more than they wished to be harmed, if at all.

Subaru was a strange one, Kamui had to admit. But he loved his elder brother for those strange quirks. If he felt the need to bring home abandoned animals, help penniless humans, and care for their sickened grandmother, then who was Kamui to fight the other's need? Especially when Subaru cared for Kamui more so than the rest of the family did, with the exception of their mother.

Not that Kamui could say that his mother loved him more than Subaru did. Actually, Kamui often wondered if she truly saw him as her son or just as a playmate that had been implanted with her genes.

But, then again, that was how it was in their clan. They would pay more attention to a specific being, the successor to the clan head, rather than their own children, their spouses: it was just the need to protect their line.

Sure, if one did something to prove themselves in the eyes of the family, then they too would receive attention, but Kamui had trouble proving his worth. Thus, it was only Subaru who noticed him, the one 

who would become clan head. His mother didn't really notice him, just saw him. There was a difference, for Kamui.

Kamui found it rather amusing that the only true emotion he could get out of anyone aside from his mother and brother was jealousy and envy, coiling together in some sick mating ritual, blooming in the eyes of others as he passed. He found it amusing in a rather cynically, horrifyingly morbid way.

Not that Subaru cared. He loved his younger brother so very much, craziness and all.

But, he was fond of teasing his younger brother, though relented slightly if Kamui flashed him a hurt look.

Like now.

"Nii-san! Please tell okaa-san to stop! I am not a girl, and I don't need a dress. Right?"

Kamui was standing in their living room, currently sending beseeching glances at his twin, Subaru standing in the doorway with a slight smile on his face, eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Aa, Kamui, you know she means no harm. Please be good for your nii-san and try on the dress? Okaa-san was up all night working on it."

Kamui was readying himself to fire back a retort when cheerful, slightly maniacal laughter came from behind Subaru, causing him to move back a few steps, allowing the true face of horror to appear before Kamui, green eyes exactly like Subaru's shining with motivation.

"That's right! Kamui-chan, you know your mama just wants you to look so very cute! Subaru didn't complain when he was younger, so you shouldn't now."

Kamui stared at his mother, amethyst striking emerald as the two sized each other up. Hokuto, mother of the twins, stood decked out in a rather strange outfit, sporting a slightly disco theme from the bell-bottom spandex pants to the short jacket unzipped over a figure-hugging leotard, platform boots that flashed with implanted lights as she moved completing the rather outrageous fashion statement.

He gulped, trying not to show his fear, but being betrayed anyways by the way his body was now shaking. Oh god….

"It's either an outfit that matches mine, Kamui-chan, or the dress. And, if you choose my Disco-Danger Theme, you have to go boogieing with me! Or, if you choose the dress, you have to take a walk with Subaru around town. And Subaru can take pictures, right Subby-chan!?"

While Kamui was trying to make a decision that would likely impact whether not he saw the next day or not, Subaru was smiling sheepishly and nodding, "Hai, okaa-san." The nickname needed to die, the black-haired twin decided. It needed to rot in hell after being struck by a thousand Shinkens.

Kamui came to a decision, his brown-black hair being pushed away from his eyes as he tried to breathe, feeling ready to hyperventilate just from the idea of the embarrassment he was sure to suffer.

"I'll wear the damn dress, okaa-san."

"Since you used a bad word, you have to wear a wig too, Kamui-chan."

The younger twin wondered briefly if he could possibly convince someone to stake him as his older brother began to snicker quietly.

"Hai, okaa-san." Kamui bowed his head in defeat, not daring to fight back verbally lest she say he should wear make-up next.

Hokuto only giggled in response and, beckoning with one hand, led him out of the room and towards her own, stopping only to give Subaru a hug before continuing on.

Fourteen minutes later, Kamui came back, trying to get used to the high-heeled black boots that clacked every time he walked, the stockings that stopped just above his knees and squeezed his limbs, and the way the wig clung uncomfortably to his scalp, matching his original hair color rather well.

He had already decided the dress would never be something he might become comfortable with, not that he felt that way about the other items either. It was just…"Okaa-san, I look like a slut!"

"No, Kamui-chan, you look like a fashionable young lady who is ready to accompany her friend as they visit the hotspots of this town. Besides, you've never even seen a slut, have you?" Hokuto giggled behind manicured nails painted a deep, almost violet, blue that faded to moss-green at the tips.

"…" Kamui promptly shook his head in response, feeling curly locks bounce about his exposed collarbone as he did so.

"Now….let us say hello to Karen!" She steered him to stand before a large mirror, metal dragons twisting at the corners and holding the glass with gold claws, glaring at one another as they faced off, eastern and western colliding.

"I'll stay Kamui, thanks."

With a sigh, he opened his eyes to the truth, trying to stare determinedly at the girl that glared back at him, obviously sassy. God, he was a girl. Now, he had a full view of the dress, and the sight wasn't all together pleasant. He had been given quick glimpses at the boots, the wig, the stockings…but this…

The dress was pure black, the corset coming to a stop above where his bust would have begun, had he one. It dipped low in the back, exposing much of his shoulder blades in a broken oval before returning to cover his lower half as a high skirt. It clung to him, the top, while the skirt brushed loosely around him, ending right where the stockings met their own termination. It came down in three different layers though, the one closest to his skin creating the shape, the way it spread away from him, the other two adding onto that to where the top layer started close to his thighs (though not close enough to reveal his gender) and found its hem at least two feet away from his knees, the air brushing coolly through that space, providing comfort for when it became too hot. It reminded him of a tent, slightly.

Kamui didn't like that the actual material used to design the dress was in such a way made that if stretched, it would easily allow holes to form, exposing more of his pale skin.

"K-Kamui?" The choked sound came from behind the two, Hokuto beginning to leer evilly, smile twisting into a smirk as Kamui became flustered, a blush heating his cheeks now that his brother knew his undying shame. But, there was still hope. If Subaru had recognized him as a boy, there was still a chance for his embarrassment levels not to reach critical.

"Subaru, you recognized me!" Kamui turned around, wrenching away from his cackling mother to throw his arms around his twin in a breathless hug of gratitude. Well, it was gratitude until Subaru cleared his throat and said, "I could tell because only you glare like that." Damn.

Kamui carefully withdrew from his brother, trying not to show his disappointment. For the people of their town, since Kamui didn't often venture among them, he would more than likely be seen as female. And Subaru would be there for every minute of Kamui's torture.

"Oi, Kamui, don't worry; hai?" Subaru pressed forward, bumping his nose with his brother's and smiling delicately. For a moment, their breath mixed together, violet meeting green and holding one another in an intimate embrace that could only come between twins. Very carefully, Kamui smiled and nodded, nose once more brushing his brother's and chocolate tresses caressing his face.

"Hai, nii-san." Of course, Hokuto had to interrupt what would have been a touching scene by pressing a camera between the two, digital in its making and glinting silver, wickedly grinning at Kamui as he stepped back and scowled.

"Now, Subaru, take a picture of Kamui-chan at each major tourist attraction. Then, bring it back to me. Oh, and Kamui, if you get hungry or thirsty, the only thing you are allowed to snack on is ice cream. Understood? Subaru, make sure he does that!"

Both boys were nodding dumbly at their mother, one's eyes shining with dread while the other's filled with laughter.

"Now…away with both of you! This, Hokuto commands." She ushered them out the door and they followed the path that led from their house to the road listening to her laughter echo after them.

When they were out of sight, Hokuto chuckled to herself and rubbed her hands together, like some crackhead scientist about to claim its creature was alive. And like any crackhead scientist, she had no idea that while she had succeeded in her devious plans, there was a side effect.

She had counted on many men and women seeing her darling Kamui-chan and trying to make moves on him, or simply filing away the fact that the boy looked damn good in a dress. She didn't count on Subaru though.

Subaru ended up watching Kamui more closely than he should have, and when the younger twin ate ice cream he couldn't help but blush and stutter something about taking a walk before practically running off, leaving Kamui to fend off would-be suitors by himself.

When the boys came home, a sheepish Subaru leading a pissed off Kamui with his dress ragged at the tips from where he had tried to outrun his obsessed fans and gotten caught on various objects, Hokuto saw her older son's blushing face and the guilty twinkle in his eyes.

She really should have expected this, the mother decided later. Kamui looked exactly like their father, and Subaru bore an uncomfortable resemblance to his mother. Obviously, Subaru had the same taste that she did in men, which left the poor boy pining after his younger brother. Really, Hokuto thought to herself, it was best this way. If Subaru was focused on something he could never have, then he would forever be safe from falling in love with someone who would return his affections before breakings his heart.

Sure, she decided as she sipped a glass of blood mixed with wine, it might leave Subaru feeling rather lonely and frustrated, but he would not have to worry about being separated from Kamui (his status would assure that his family was given maximum security) and Kamui would likely bloom underneath Subaru's affections.

If Subaru had looked elsewhere, Hokuto couldn't help but smile, then Kamui would likely be much meeker. Perhaps, he might not even be alive.

Yes, this was the best thing, for now.

* * *

**Kelley: **With that, I bring you the newest series by Blue. :smiles: Blue herself will answer reviews as normal, here at the bottom, however, I will be typing up the disclaimers and such. I'm her "Family Muse" as she calls me, seeing as I was based off her younger sister. I believe I am qualified to man the editing of these documents, but I appreciate any help one is willing to give and will accept flames willingly.

...

I don't know if Blue will though.

Ja, m'dears...


	2. In Sickness

**Forgotten Ink: Page 2**

**_In Sickness_**

_By: XBlueXMemoriesX_

* * *

Subaru cared greatly for his younger twin. It came of no surprise that he was rather fidgety whenever the flu season rolled around and was quick to jump to Kamui's side if so much as a sneeze was heard out of him.

Kamui, for his part, was simply amused by his elder twin's concern, able to tease Subaru about how he was acting like a nervous mother and the like. Subaru simply stuttered and blushed under Kamui's amused violet gaze, trying to find a way out of the gentle rebukes until the answer would come to him and he would stick a hot spoonful of soup in Kamui's mouth.

Of course, half the time Kamui spit it out, begging for cold water to relieve the burning sensation as Subaru nearly killed himself trying to find a glass of water. It never ceased to amaze Kamui that Subaru didn't, seeing as the boy would practically snag his clothes on every corner available, run into every standing item of their house, and smack into some low-hanging structure at least one.

Subaru was amazed that Kamui was even able to live with him, seeing as the amethyst-eyed boy would often let loose eruptions of non-stop laughter as his older brother tried futilely to make light of the situation.

But, seeing as it cheered the bed-ridden Kamui up, Subaru supposed the dying of his dignity was a fine price to pay to keep the younger happy.

Of course, that was when they were children, and the newly proclaimed teenager that was Kamui would have none of his brother's affections. Actually, as their mother liked to put it, he was going through a rebellious stage and currently was "finding himself". This meant listening to heavy metal, ignoring anyone and everyone, and getting into fights for no reason.

Subaru, who was now being called "Mother Subaru" behind his back by his own mother, was understandably upset, having apparently skipped this phase and feeling hurt by his brother's sudden withdrawal.

It also didn't help that Kamui had taken to patrolling the house at night, leaving him to fall into exhausted slumber around five in the morning and not wake up until three in the afternoon. Which Subaru found utterly ridiculous on so many levels; he tried to point this out to Kamui but was only snarled at in reply.

This led to Hokuto buying a book entitled, "Teenagers: The Parents' Guide". Subaru did not appreciate the joke.

What he did appreciate, however, was being able to go shopping without either of his family members following behind him; not the dark cloud that was now Kamui or the happy rainbow that was Hokuto. Yes, she had gone to work dressed in a tie-dye shirt; no, Subaru didn't want to know what the rest of her outfit looked like.

So, Subaru was left to shop for groceries by himself, picking out different foods, frowning as he tried to decide between getting two cans or one…which was better in the long haul?

He left the store ten minutes later, humming to himself as he swung the bag at his side carefully. Today had been a good day, and Subaru was more than a little pleased with his luck. Kamui had left early, saying something about going out for a walk, and Hokuto had not been nagging him to eat more, exercise less then tell her whether the plan actually worked or not (he had no clue what that was about).

So safe to say, when he tripped over something, he wasn't upset. Just a little annoyed and apologetic for having not watched where he was going. But, he still cried out as he saw what he had tripped over.

A pair of legs was sticking out from underneath a sidewalk table, the owner of them apparently having been dozing for they withdrew for a few seconds, folding back under the table until the owner of them peeked out, hair mussed and eyes foggy with sleep.

Subaru might have had a heart attack then.

"Kamui," he was able to stutter out, staring at his twin in partial dismay (the boy had been asleep underneath a _table_) and partial annoyance (Subaru was sure that at least half of his eggs were now cracked, the bag having bounced against the sidewalk before Subaru caught his balance). As the younger vampire just stared up at him blatantly, obviously not all there, Subaru repeated the word, unable to do more than say his brother's name. "Kamui…_Kamui." _

Finally, seeming to have regained his tongue (and, his newfound temper) Kamui growled out, "You're a fucking genius, Subaru." Naturally, he got cuffed for that, Subaru landing a gentle blow across his head.

Kamui stared at his brother for a moment before sighing and muttering a quick apology. Subaru only smiled and offered a hand to his younger brother, one which was accepted immediately as Kamui got out from underneath the table and dusted off his jeans and ratty black t-shirt.

"Aa, Kamui, what exactly were you doing underneath the table?" Subaru wasn't quite sure whether he should call the National Guard to haul his brother to a nearby asylum (did they even have one?) or simply shake his head and take Kamui home. Maybe Kamui could give him some answers and help him reach a decision, that is, if he didn't storm off in a huff first.

But, it seemed that having been there for Kamui when he was younger benefitted Subaru now. Kamui was looking somewhat sheepish, hand raking through his black-brown hair as he tried to find the answer. Finally, it seemed that Kamui chose the truth.

"Sleeping...underneath the table."

And Subaru peeked past his bangs, staring at Kamui's eyes long and hard. He had dark rings underneath them, the violet shining tiredly and his face contorted in fatigue. Even vampires, though sturdier than humans, needed sleep to function.

Subaru frowned at Kamui, green eyes darkening into an almost-black hue. His younger brother had reached the point of actually falling asleep underneath a table. Hell, next time it might be in an alleyway; he might get hurt. Obviously, Subaru was going to have to put a stop to this.

Adjusting his grip on the bagful of groceries, his free hand shot out and grabbed his younger brother's wrist, tugging it in one sharp pull before proceeding to drag him along the sidewalk, Kamui stumbling along behind him, too dizzy and drowsy to fight back, physically or verbally.

They reached the house rather quickly, Subaru shoving Kamui in ahead of him, closing the door as he went. He left the younger twin standing in the front hall for a moment, going to shove the bag into their refrigerator, not bothering to withdraw anything from the plastic before returning to Kamui and once more pulling him, this time to Subaru's own room.

With age had come the need for space, at least for Kamui, so they slept separately, though their rooms were side by side with a door joining the two together.

Subaru wasn't really in the mood for Kamui's protests, and he promptly had the boy stuck in his plush double bed dressed in only his boxers and shirt, the comforter covering him with the edges tucked underneath the mattress, hindering Kamui should he attempt to escape.

Of course, from the eerie way that Subaru was glowering as he proceeded to turn off the lights and lock the door before returning to Kamui's side and settling down in his desk chair, the chocolate-haired boy wasn't quite sure he wanted to risk his neck trying to escape. And that was quite literally, seeing as when Subaru smiled creepily at Kamui his fangs were beginning to poke through his gums, something that only ever happened whenever Subaru wished to feed or was somewhat upset.

Hokuto came home later that day, proceeded to put up the groceries that Subaru had abandoned, then entered Subaru's now unlocked room and discovered a cute, yet disturbing sight.

Unable to resist, the vampire twins' mother took a picture and went on to show it to her friends, who showed it to their kids, who showed it to their friends...you get the picture.

A few days later, when school came into session and the two were forced to attend, Kamui and Subaru were shown a picture that involved them both. Kamui was strapped down in Subaru's bed, ropes crisscrossing across his blanket-covered body while Subaru could be seen slumbering on a futon a scant few feet away, a sinister smile plastered across his angelic features.

One boy had the nerve to remark that he had never thought Subaru to have a bondage fetish, but hey, that was his kink. Subaru passed out at that statement, having already turned fire truck-red from the photo. Kamui, for his part, only punched the rude youth in the mouth and gathered up his unconscious brother in his arms, coolly saying that he was going to the nurse's office and if he saw that picture when he came back, whoever had it in their possession would have their limbs torn off painfully.

Obviously, there was no sign of any photo bearing the two when he returned and all were quiet, more out of fear for their lives than actual respect for the lanky teenager. Kamui didn't really care though, and he was able to sleep at night now that he couldn't exactly move.

His weird phase eventually passed and Subaru celebrated that day, happy to have his loving younger brother back. That was until he caught Kamui innocently blaming things on Subaru and kicked the younger boy back into his own room. Even if Subaru did burn that one outfit Hokuto made for him; the rest was all Kamui though, we swear it.

* * *

**Kelley:** The "we swear it" is actually a statement that Blue and a friend made together after said friend had read this over, moreso because she just likes reading what Blue writes rather than to check for mistakes.

Thanks, Mini-chan, even if you aren't going to put any reviews on here when you can just call Blue. xD We're still accepting your help because you have _insane_ ideas, and, when you're not being a pervert, you make a good co-writer...Blue put the you being a pervert. Don't blame me. Blame her.

Nothing more to say other than see you later on, hmm?

...Blue says this is the last time we're talking about you, Mini-chan...


	3. Mine!

**Forgotten Ink: Page 3**

**_Mine!_**

_By XBlueXMemoriesX_

* * *

When Subaru and Kamui were only toddlers, their mother learned something very peculiar about the older vampire babe.

Subaru was a strange little creature that was quite unlike the other children. He was selfish to a level that terrified Hokuto and the rest of his family.

He would not allow his brother to have his doggy doll, and he even began to show his nails when Kamui came too close. For the other vampire babies, he was even worse, hissing at them and swiping with his claws, never touching them but coming close a number of times. Sadly, as time wore on, that dog and other items became impossible to acquire, no matter what state it was in, simply because of his bad temper.

One day, when Hokuto was idly sketching out a new one-piece suit for Subaru, she was interrupted by a feral screech, so painful that she dropped her fountain pen and notebook, cringing in her plush chair. In the next instant, she had jumped up and ran straight to the twins' room, hurrying to their shared crib and peering over the edge.

What she saw surprised her.

Kamui was fending off a squalling Subaru with one hand while the other had his nails fully exposed and was gleefully ripping Subaru's doggy to shreds.

"Mine," Subaru sobbed, emitting another alien cry as Kamui began to tear at one glass eye.

"Subby-chan share with Kama-chan." Kamui crowed back, savage joy evident in his voice.

Subaru wasn't able to do anything other than nod tearfully at his brother, mouth partially open with two teeth sticking out, unable to make another sound.

With that, Kamui lowered his sharp nails away from where they had been positioned to tear off the button nose and instead withdrew his claws. Then, smiling, he handed the mangled toy back to his brother and offered him a hug, one that Subaru charged into, dragging his beaten dog behind him.

Hokuto crept out of their room and started laughing once she was sure they were not within earshot.

Needless to say, Subaru wasn't quite that selfish anymore, and other problems the twins exhibited were dealt with in a similar manner. They never hurt one another but instead took it out on their most prized possessions.

As Hokuto remarked to one drinking buddy, "They practically take care of themselves. I don't need to worry about punishment because the other is there to always deal a far harsher blow than I ever could." She downed a swig of her Bloody Mary. "Ohohohohohohoho. My boys are amazing."

* * *

**Kelley:** Well, :smiles: today we shall be joined by Desen, who had the idea for this little story.

**Desen:** ...:rolls eyes: I swear she's hyped up on sugar and has been smoking something too. :clears throat and speaks louder: Yes, all children are selfish, and it seems to me that Subaru needs some flaw to make him somewhat more naw-tu-ral. :adopts snooty voice: So, my darlings, we decided to give him this very strange little quirk. :frowns and returns to normal tone: Besides that, I was getting tired of no one crying.

**Kelley: **Ah, I see...you can go now...:sidles away nervously from Desen and whispers: Dear God, no wonder Jigoku refuses to work with her.


	4. And Then

**Forgotten Ink: Page 4**

**_And Then..._**

_By XBlueXMemoriesX_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the original script devised for the movie _Dude, Where's My Car?_. I do, however, own the slightly changed version of it that is shown here.

* * *

In human years, Subaru and Kamui would have been around ten years of age when this certain incident occurred. This certain incident led to Subaru ordering their food from then on, and Kamui was stuck cooking his own if he was hungry and his family wasn't there to order food for him.

It wasn't really his fault.

The poor boy had been forced to go buy food from a Chinese take-out place. Normally, when he ordered food, it was from another place, right down the street from the place he ordered from that particular day. The problem? His regular choice had been closed down because of the owner dying.

This, in Kamui's opinion, wasn't the best reason to close down the shop. Couldn't they have hired another owner? Yes, his young mind was baffled, but he obeyed his mother's wishes and went to order food from this new place, the _Imperial Dragon_, if he remembered correctly. Or was that the name of a book…?

Whatever, he still found the place and entered it with a list of food in hand.

Going up to the woman at the front of the counter, he smiled pleasantly and stuck his free thumb in his mouth, teeth nibbling on the clothed nail as he contemplated the words written on the white paper, trying to make sense of them.

Finally, he made out a few words, "Excuse me, could we have three orders of garlic chicken…?"

The woman, smiling herself and exposing rather nice dentals, dragged out two words. "And then…?"

"And then three orders of white rice please…" Kamui bit his lip after extracting his thumb from his mouth, trying to understand his mother's chicken scratch.

"And then?" The woman sounded about the same as when she first asked that question. Maybe she was just…bored?

"Um…wonton soup? Three of them please?" Honestly, Kamui had no clue if he had pronounced that right, but he hoped it would be good enough.

Apparently it was, because the lady behind the counter only asked, "And then?"

"Oh! Three fortune cookies too, please." Pleased with himself, the young boy began to extract the money that his mother had given him only to be stopped short.

"And then?"

"That's it; thank you." Kamui spoke politely, ducking his head in a short bow before returning to rummaging through his pocket, trying to find his money—

"And then?"

He paused for a second, trying to understand. Maybe the woman was a little hard of hearing. Kamui said in a rather loud voice, "That's it; I don't want anything else, thank you."

"And then?"

Panicked, Kamui lost all of his former etiquette, gasping out, "No 'and then'! That's it."

"And then?"

Kamui stared at the woman in front of him, finally noticing how that creepy smile hadn't left her face. He laughed a little, trying not to get upset. "Heh, and then, I want you to put it in a brown paper bag and give it to me because I'm hungry."

He waited. Sure enough, two seconds later came the "and then" he had been waiting for.

"There is nothing else! That is the end; please give me the food, shut up, and you can have all the money okaa-san gave me!"

Kamui was seeing red when the woman dragged out a long "And then?"

"Listen, lady that is all I want!"

"And then…?"

"Stop playing your crazy mind games! Please!?"

They were starting to get weird looks from the other customers. Of course, Kamui didn't really care, he was too busy waiting.

"And then?"

"No, no 'and then'! Shut up you crazy whore!" Kamui's right eye was starting to twitch and his nails were itching.

"And theeeeen?"

"I'm getting pissed off; now shut up!"

Subaru, who had been waiting outside for his brother, came inside in time to hear those words. His "Uh, Kamui?" was drowned out by another one of the lady's "And theeeeen?"

Kamui seemed to have snapped. His eyes were glowing gold and his nails were starting to tear through the fabric of the black gloves he had on.

"And then, you ask? I'm going to come over there and I'm going to put my _foot_ in your _ass_ if you don't shut the fuck up and give me my food!"

A ten-second silence stretched out, Subaru blushing because of his brother's sudden explosion of colorful language. It reminded him vaguely of their mother, Hokuto, when she was in a bad mood. And then…

"Andthenandthenandthenandthenandthenandthen," the woman was cut off abruptly by Kamui giving a battle cry and launching across the counter separating him and his newfound enemy, claws trying to score marks as the woman dodged his attacks, Subaru chasing after his brother and managing to subdue him.

At that point, both boys were kicked out of the store.

Mother Hokuto wasn't pleased.

* * *

**Kelley: **Well, now that this is done, you all should know that while there will be more chapters for this story, they will come slowly. This series is more for laughs than anything else. If you have any ideas for other situations though, leave a review telling us about it and Blue will find a way to make it work. Mind you, if you're vague, Blue might make up an entirely different story.

Ja, dears--


	5. The Domestics

**Forgotten Ink: Page 5  
**

**_The Domestics  
_**

_By Perfect Image [Desen]_

_

* * *

_

Among the vampires, the older families had always retained the ability to converse with animals. Certainly, not every one of the ancient bloodlines had such skills – only a select few from the Hellsing family, the Yofiel family, and the Ruman family still could acquire true companions from among the beasts that wandered Labbiel, home to those same blood-sucking parasites.

From among the Ruman family came four that could take creatures as friends: Seere, Demeter, Ceres, and Xaphan. While Demeter and Ceres could both speak to the smaller creatures, Seere excelled in the language of the raptors, large birds of prey whose wingspread often came to ten feet, if not more. Xaphan, for his part, spoke to the bears, stealing honey from the black bears and accepting salmon from the grizzlies.

The Yofiel family, sadly, only had one that could speak. However, this child was revered, speaking with dragons – her favorite being the imperial dragons that frolicked in mighty rivers and spat down rain from the heavens.

And from the Hellsing family, the most: six. Hokuto, mother to the future ruler of all living vampires chattered happily with monkeys. Her brother-in-law stalked beside wolves, Lisk preferring to only interact with her when needed. Then came two pairs of siblings: one set of twins and one set of normal siblings. The natural siblings controlled many different languages, though both still kept within their respective boundaries. Fuuma, the older, spoke with the different stags while Kotori, the younger, sang with the sparrows and blue jays, laughed with the mockingbirds and teased the other tiny birds. The pair of twins, one who would take over the task of commanding the vampires and the other who would do anything to protect him, held perhaps the most ordinary of languages. And yet they were the most interesting to behold.

Kamui began speaking with cats when he was around five hundred years old – approximately five for a normal human child – and no one was surprised that he started so early. Rather, they were shocked that he spoke with the domesticated ones, rather than conversing with those that stalked the flora surrounding the vampires' capital.

However, as time wore on, it seemed that this was best for him. Sulky and almost always unhappy, Kamui was as temperamental and unpredictable as these beasts. And, just like most of them, he opened up only to one person – for him, his brother, Subaru.

Subaru, kind and considering, spoke with hounds. From the tiny terriers to their wolf-like cousins, they adored him, fawned over him. Of course, they loved everyone – no one, except for those close to Subaru, saw how he tried to avoid them.

* * *

Though the twins were close, it was Hokuto who noticed it first. A young Subaru came to her, flung himself into her open arms – and he begged her to make them speak again. Behind him trailed three little puppies.

"O-okaa-san," he blubbered, even as they fell about the vampires' feet. "They w-won't talk to m-me. N-no m-m-matter w-what I d-do."

Subaru had always been an eloquent speaker, and his stuttering only showed her how distraught he was. Hokuto made calming shushing noises and rubbed circles into his tiny back.

Her mother, an open person that seemed to have been reflected in Subaru, had once spoken to horses and hounds. But, though Hokuto begged to be taught the language of dogs, the generally sweet woman had refused, looking haggard and far older than she was.

"The hounds," she'd said tersely, "would only bring heartbreak to you in their later years."

And Hokuto, mother to the two tiny princes of the pureblooded vampire society, understood what she meant. Already she could see signs of aging in these pups, leaner and longer legs with more pronounced muzzles. Their paws seemed less large, and their fur clung close to their skulls, no longer a protective cushion for the still-growing bones.

She buried Subaru's face in her shoulder and sent word to the canine master to not allow Subaru access to the little canines anymore. Then she went to pay a visit to their most powerful of seers.

* * *

"Interesting," was the first thing the woman whispered, hands gently running over her ivory tarot cards, taken from the jaws of the wyverns that roamed the savanna plains that spread wide beyond the mountains that encased the jungle-encircled capital.

Laid out before her were the different Houses, and from each she had drawn two cards – one for the past and the other for the future. From the two central houses she had drawn out three to discover the cause for the present condition.

By themselves the cards, painted over with ink that would never smudge or fade, could bring no answers. But, combined with the mystic's seeing abilities, they harnessed powers far beyond that of a normal vampire's reckoning.

She lifted up the Angel of Death's card and replaced him face down on the deck of cards waiting patiently nearby since they had been given no purpose in this reading. Then, just as quick, she plucked the Angel of Life and the Angel of Creation from their Houses and placed them on top of Azrael's resting place.

She'd seen, in those three cards, in those three scant touches, that the little dogs were becoming more humane-like, replacing with bestiary with domesticity. And, with the removal of two more cards from their Houses she saw the reason Kamui did not suffer from the same thing: cats were selfish, survivalists, and they chose warmth and comfort not in servitude but in partnership, friendship.

The dogs had found new pack leaders, and with each birth, the dogs were losing more and more of their language. Before long, there would be no talking for them except for the meaningless barks and body signals the vampires had learned to recognize as words. Subaru would no longer have a special trait, would no longer have friends no one else could have.

When Kamui and Subaru turned seventeen hundred years old, the dogs could no longer speak their own language. And, though Subaru tried to hide his loneliness, his exclusion from a group that could do nothing to help him, Kamui saw it all and became terribly ashamed and saddened by his twin's loss.

He tried something, something that had never been attempted before. Well, it had been but no one had succeeded. And Kamui was determined to be the first. He would teach Subaru to speak with the cats, would take every tactic into consideration and – damn it all – if it didn't work he would just tell his feline friends to love Subaru unconditionally whether they liked it or not.

It started with simple words like what the cats called each other (_Umbra_) and what they called vampires and other beings that could possibly be mistaken for a human being, or was one (_Anima); _and the dogs were called _Enshou _or as individuals, _Enshoun_. It was hard, getting Subaru to pronounce words that rolled off Kamui's tongue so easily.

But, Kamui didn't give up, wouldn't give up. By the end of the first year, Subaru could understand and say a few sentences comfortably without having to pause and select a word from his internal dictionary.

With vampires, learning was a slow process. Aging slower than humans, they had to remember their knowledge for a time that far surpassed most humans. It did no good to learn so many things so quickly and then have thousands of years to forget everything. Most would at least make it to their seven thousandth birthday, and some would age well into ten thousand years of age.

Kamui went at the same pace that their tutors did, slower than them. Because this was another language created by creatures that would never lose their feral side. Guttural sounds were a must for most words that extended beyond a kitten's vocabulary, and often Subaru's throat hurt by the end of the day.

Of course, now he knew why Kamui would growl or hiss subconsciously whenever he was displeased, reflecting his feline friends' behavior. And Subaru was slightly mortified when he discovered that he started to do the same thing.

It wasn't the best thing in the world, to have your mother burst out laughing after you darkly growled in remembrance of a slightly malicious relative.

Subaru did allow himself to chuckle as well, once Kamui snarled his own agreement, though on a far harsher level, pitching it to where Subaru knew that he was well and pissed and not just annoyed like Subaru had been.

It was hard, learning the language of cats. Too many motions could mean too many things, and he understood how Kamui could read him so well, far better than most – with the difficulty of having to decipher so much as a slight change in breathing patterns, it was strange that Kamui couldn't just predict was people were going to say. But, then again, his twin didn't read too much into people.

And, soon, when it was over and done and he knew everything Subaru realized that he could do the same thing, pick up on Kamui's stiffness and sudden tensing of the muscles.

The cats hadn't been domesticated, would never be. Kamui would never be. And, in the years leading up to the twins' eventual running, Subaru noticed that some of the fiercer hounds were beginning to develop a new language of their own.

Subaru realized that this was the natural order of things.

* * *

**Desen: **::fidgets slightly:: Umm, well. I think this might end up being a two-parter but -- the companion piece would be farther down the road. I, I don't really know what else to say.

Well, we've been..._outed_. You can see exactly how by checking out our profile page. Might make more sense to you, I suppose. And you can see why I'm not updating.

Yeah, that's all.


End file.
